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Best way to power 1 Room during energy crisis?
Main Post:
I live at home with my family and I don't believe we are in a situation where we will lose power but in the event we have to cut back or power outages become a little more common with this energy crisis, how can I protect myself with some solar purchases now to keep some lights and warmth and maybe a tv or some chargers going?
My initial thought was some kind of portable solar power station that could be charged with a 100W solar cell and run some kind of heated lamp and light along with maybe some chargers and perhaps its got enough juice to watch some TV or some kind of entertainment for n hour or 2. Is this a viable option? I think the Anker power bank may be a little too small for this but maybe the bigger one could handle this load?
Alternatively, is some kind of DIY setup better for this that can run a bit more for less money?
Top Comment:
You are late to the party, most solar energy related stuff has doubled in price.
Heating with electricity is a bad idea. A space heater is between 500 W and several thousand watts. Most gadget stations have below 1000Wh. (Watt of the device divided by Wh number = maximum runtime in hours, best possible case). Get something gas or wood based. Running a space heater for 10-30min max per day is pointless.
Entertainment is possible. A small power station will run a TV, phones, laptops... etc for some time.
Recharging a power station is usually possible using the mains (which may not be available) or solar panel. The watt number quoted for the panel is the absolute best case scenario. It never happens in practice. With perfect alignment and sun, you will get something like 80% to the device. With an overcast sky the number drops to 10% or worse.
My advice: gather the stuff you want to power and write down watts. Add 20% to watts consumed via AC plugs. Add 5% for those running on USB-C PD/QC (Laptops, phones, tablet). Think about not having internet during the outages. Think about fridge and freezer. Set your personal time to survive.
Watt X time = Wh => pick a station having at least that number. Wh/2 equals the solar panels you need to power all this on solar during longer outages for one day.